Election authorities in Kashmir have filed an FIR against former chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti for allegedly breaching the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
Alleged Violation of Sec 144
The FIR has been lodged against Mehbooba for purportedly violating Section 144 after she and her party workers organized a protest sit-in in the Bijbehara area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, as per officials.
Mufti’s Response
Mufti labeled the FIR against her as “amusing.” She stated, “Amusing to find an FIR filed against me for apparently flouting MCC. This is the price PDP has paid for speaking truth to power. Our protest was against GOI in cahoots with local administration for detaining hundreds of PDP polling agents and workers in the hours leading up to voting.”
“Still not satisfied, the same administration went on to launch Cordon and Search Operations in traditional PDP stronghold areas to terrorize our voters and prevent them from exercising their right to vote. Ulta chor kotwal ko daante (the pot calling the kettle black),” Mehbooba expressed in a post on X.
Protest Amid Lok Sabha Elections
The former chief minister staged a protest outside a police station in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Saturday, while polling was underway in the Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary seat during the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections. She protested against the alleged detention of her party workers and polling agents.
Officials deemed the protest as a “gross violation” of the MCC. “The substantial group of PDP workers also obstructed the main road and staged a protest at the main stop Bijbehara for more than one hour, which constitutes violations of the Section 144 CrPC which was imposed in the constituency,” the FIR indicated.
Election authorities had enforced prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC from 6 pm on May 23 until 6 pm on May 25 in light of the polling in the constituency and to uphold the sanctity of democratic principles. The prohibitory order banned unlawful assembly as per section 144 of the IPC and any procession or rally to prevent any law and order problem.
